The National Transportation Safety Board took the unusual step of issuing its recommendations jointly with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

In July, a runaway oil train derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Forty-seven people were incinerated and 30 buildings destroyed.

Removing Oil from Train Cars

Oil will be removed from the derailed train cars over the Schuylkill River. (Published Thursday, Jan 23, 2014)

Just this week, six cars derailed on a Philadelphia bridge carrying the same type of flammable crude that exploded in Quebec. The cars derailed over the Schuylkill River in a heavily-populated area near the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Interstate 76 and three hospitals.

"As long as there's toxic crude oil hanging over the Schuylkill River on a twisted bridge ... there's still danger," said Marie Bloom, director of the environmental group Protecting Our Waters. Cleanup was still underway as late Thursday and the derailment happened early Monday morning.